1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to clamping devices and more particularly to clamps operable to hold two ends of a broken fence wire together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Once a fence wire, as for example barbed wire, is broken it becomes necessary to repair the wire because of loss of livestock and the danger of livestock on the road, as well as for countless other reasons. On a large ranch or spread, there are many repair jobs required over the period of a year.
Because the wire is ordinarily under some tension before breakage, the wire is ordinarily too short to make appropriate loops and twists in each of the wires for repair. The addition of another stretch of wire usually produces too much slack in the wire. Under any circumstance, the process is time consuming and each break can occupy a quarter-hour of a man's time.
Clamps are known for holding a fence wire to a post as typified by U.S. Patent office No. 342,922 issued to S. J. Munn and clamps are known for holding two wire portions as typified by Hawser clamp of R. Ashworth, U.S. Pat. No. 479,777. The Munn clamp is operable to hold a single wire and then only by means of a single groove, a portion of which is included on each section of the clamp. The groove is formed to fit a particular size of fence wire. The clamp is unsuitable for the mending of fence wires. The Hawser clamp of Ashworth is provided with a pair of grooves, also shaped to fit a particular size wire; is costly to construct and therefore impractical for the purpose of fence repair, and clamps the wire or wires with a force being applied in one direction only, thereby allowing slippage of the wires.